This has been a favorite recipe of mine for some time now. Not only is it packed full of flavor and can be prepared a head of time, but it uses minimal dishes (my fave!!). It comes from one of my favorite Food Network chef’s, Giada De Laurentiis, who is known for her Italian cooking and television shows such as Everyday Italian and Giada at Home.
I have quite a few cookbooks from Giada is my cabinet and they actually do get quite a lot of use! Giada is a favorite of mine because she uses a few, simple ingredients to make dishes that are filling and full of flavor. The majority of the ingredients are items I already have at home and many of the recipes can be cooked from start to finish in 30 minutes or less – perfect for weeknight dinners after work!
I have always made this recipe using chicken wings/drumettes but you could absolutely use boneless chicken breasts as well. Added bonus: Your house will smell AMAZING while these are cooking. Thank you fresh rosemary.
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 5 sprigs of rosemary
- 5 garlic cloves, halved
- 1 large package of chicken wings (approx 12-15 to wings)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar. Add the chicken to the bag and seal with as little air as possible inside. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.
- When ready to cook preheat the oven to 450 F.
- Cover a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Place the chicken on the pan (do not throw away the marinade) and bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Heat a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds.
- Toast until they are golden brown in color. Set aside.
- While the chicken is cooking, place the marinade in a small saucepan.
- Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria).
- Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, approx 15 minutes.
- Brush the cooking chicken with the reduced marinade halfway through cooking in the oven.
- Once the chicken is done cooking remove from the oven and brush on more of the cooked marinade.
- At this point, if the skin is not caramelized and dark enough pop it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to get it to your liking.
- Brush on more of the marinade and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.
Emily J. Goodman 